Sunday, March 29, 2009

The tour to Alaska is almost completely booked. I am pumped!I can't wait to be living out of a car for a month and a half with two lovely young men again.That probably sounds completely sarcastic, but I am for serious, for sure.

I like Milkmaid Braids.

My mom used to do this to my hair when I was a little girl.I love. Still.

I cut my hair short in November of '07 when my best friend Anthony left for Iraq, and I said I would keep growing it until he came home. By the time he came home this past January my hair was down to my shoulders. I decided to keep growing it out because I wanted to wear my hair in milkmaid braids for my wedding.Now that my engagement was broken off, I still find myself growing my hair out, and I realize that I'm doing it for myself.I like that reason most of all.So, we'll see if I can reach to goal.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

I go to school in a very rural area of Pennsylvania, which is extremely impoverished. It's not rare for me to see children in shoes that are falling apart with dirty faces and hair that looks like it hasn't been washed in a week or maybe longer.It breaks my heart.I often find myself wanting to get down on one knee and do the lick the thumb mom thing to clean the dirt smudges from their cheeks and foreheads.

Yesterday I was in the supermarket and as I was waiting in line there was a couple with three small children under the age of four. The family had huge boxes of soda under their cart, and paid for their frozen pizza and boxed macaroni and cheese and rushed away without paying for the soda. I watched as they walked away, and looked at the cashier to see if he had noticed. He didn't.

My heart went out to these children. I wanted to hug them, take them home, give them baths, and feed them a warm meal to nourish their bodies instead of the soda and frozen pizza they were going to be given.

I watched these people steal and I didn't say anything.

I'm the kind of person who will confront someone when they are doing something wrong, especially if it is hurtful, harmful, or offensive in any way, but I didn't say a thing about this.

Was it wrong?I saw them as clearly being victims of their situation.Was it wrong of me not to have said anything?I think I would have felt worse if I had said anything.

When is the earliest time a person can be a foster parent?

Update:Age 21 (In Pennsylvania)Now I'm wondering if it's a good idea for a single, 22 year old strudent to be a parent to troubled children by herself.A part of me says wait until you're married and have a partner to do this with. The other part of me says there's no time to waste.

Monday, March 16, 2009

The first thing I think of when I think about what I will miss about college:free birth control

Is that bad?I mean, not because I'm a big ol' hoebag, but I do think every woman should have the right to know what's up with her bod, whether she wants to know when her monthly visit will be or if she doesn't want to get prego.

Oh, nevermind.

I just found out today that I have to take two more courses before I can graduate. I am livid. Thanks Mansfield University. I'm thinking of getting my degree in Art History here (since it's completed) and then finish my History degree and teaching certification at ESU for next fall.I love going to school, but I don't love how they love screwing people over.

It doesn't look like my free birth control days are really over after all.

Speaking of dream men, I was walking back from class today and saw the most beautiful specimen gracing the sidewalk outside of Belknap. We met eyes and both said hello to each other.Isn't that lovely? He was even wearing nice shoes and glasses. Unfortunately, in Mansfield, PA that usually means that he is:A.) Taken.B.) Not interested in ladies.

Maybe that's not the case, and perhaps our paths will cross again (which isn't all that unlikely considering how small Mansfield is).I'd like to make a nice new friend.

Lightly (lightly, lightly) coat a pan with olive oil and add the vegetables to grill (make sure you add the tomato last so it does not get too soggy! Yikes!) Once they are grilled toss in a dash of the salt, pepper, oregano, and basil (as much or as little as you choose.)

Boil water (don't forget to put in a pinch of salt and a bit of olive oil!), throw the pasta in, then strain it when it's done.

Add the vegetables to the pasta. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the mixture, add a bit of olive oil so that it doesn't get too dry and yuckified, and about 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (again, however much you want. It depends on what you like, really. I put even less than that.)

Enjoy!

Eggplant and squash would be great with this dish as well, or really any veggie, for that matter. I just used what I had in the house, and thought that lemon would compliment it well....and it did!Yes please!I hope you enjoy this basic, but yummy dish.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

I went to New Mexico to visit with my friend Jem for a long weekend. It was beautiful, and I spent the majority of my time alone exploring, but it was still so lovely. My first time being in a place that felt like spring over spring break.And to think, I will be touring to Alaska this spring -- a place that will feel like winter.My, my, my!While I was there I made a twisted rib circular scarf.It felt so nice to start something and have the time to finish it in two days.Better than smooches from someone who makes you giddy.Better than watermelon on the fourth of July.Better than making new friends on airplanes.